The Smiths "Rare" album

[2-J]

But I don't think it's official. First and foremost, the track listing is a little odd. A few of the Peel sessions are hardly "rare", being on "Hatful of Hollow" (which Warners finally released in the US a few years back), and anyway why include those versions instead of the Peel session B-sides from "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me", or the Peel versions of "London" and "Half A Person"? What about "Rubber Ring"/"Asleep"? Why not "Hand In Glove" live, which was included on a Warners CD single in 1992?

I agree these selections would be a shame, but it wouldn't be the first or last time a record company hasn't been the sharpest when picking out a compilation tracklisting. Still, this is definitely a point to consider.

Also, the album sleeve: no way did Warners dig up the old sleeve for "Stop Me" and recycle it. They've shown they'll use other photos (for the "Best" albums and singles, "Very Best") that are "Smiths-like", so I really can't imagine they'd go back to old Murray Head.

Maybe for a digital release, as you say, production costs would intentionally by kept to the minimum (if this is digital only).

 

[Not Right in the Head]

Try downloading a song, it works. I liked the crisper version of "The Draize Train", which was a little better than my vinyl rip.

Really? *off to download it*

EDIT: I'm going for the "Pretty Girls Make Graves" cello version, too, because my vinyl rip is awful.

 

[Worm]

Really? *off to download it*

EDIT: I'm going for the "Pretty Girls Make Graves" cello version, too, because my vinyl rip is awful.

Yeah, that's a great version. I prefer it to the official one.

 

[2-J]

I just downloaded 'The Draize Train' from itunes UK. Nice sound quality.

Interestingly the file has DRM, which is what you would expect from Warners..

This is a big big story - if it's a fake, then it's amazing a faker got this bootleg on itunes the world over, amazon and rhapsody. If not, it's a big story that someone at Universal okayed what would appear to be a digital-only release of back catalogue Smiths material.

 

[Not Right in the Head]

I just downloaded 'The Draize Train' from itunes UK. Nice sound quality.

Interestingly the file has DRM, which is what you would expect from Warners..

Not necessarily. Tracks on the iTunes store get there via hordes of employees who rip the CDs, tag the tracks, & upload them to Apple's servers. The default rip configuration is DRM-enabled 128kbps AACs. iTunes Plus tracks are 256kbps AACs and do not have DRM.

Wait, I just checked "The Draize Train" that I downloaded, and its file type is Purchased AAC, not protected AAC, so it does not have DRM.

 

[2-J]

Are you in the US?

I downloaded from the UK store, and I can assure you my file has DRM - iTunes told me so when I tried to convert to mp3.

About iTunes Plus, it is only available for tracks from EMI, or Indie labels. The other Majors do not sell in iTunes Plus format. Of the Majors, only EMI so far allows DRM free downloads on iTunes (other Majors are, as I understand it, experimenting with the amazon.com download store in the US, but have not gone fully DRM free yet, like EMI).

EDIT: I have submitted this story as news to davidt, we will see if he posts it. I think, despite the initial dismissal of it as a bootleg, given the audacious feat the bootlegger would have undertaken to separately fool 3 of the biggest legal online music stores, there is at least a chance that it is an official release. And if not, I think it's quirky / amusing enough for news anyway. The webmaster's decision is final though of course.

 

[Worm]

I just downloaded 'The Draize Train' from itunes UK. Nice sound quality.

Interestingly the file has DRM, which is what you would expect from Warners..

This is a big big story - if it's a fake, then it's amazing a faker got this bootleg on itunes the world over, amazon and rhapsody. If not, it's a big story that someone at Universal okayed what would appear to be a digital-only release of back catalogue Smiths material.

It is rather a big story, isn't it? Like authenticating some antique object, except it's an object we all have anyway.

I suspect that a legal man at Warners could easily explain why this is "officially" being released in digital format. There are probably a dozen legal hurdles to clear for physical distribution that go away in the case of a digital download. Instead of "Faucet Music" they should've called their label "Loophole Music".

Still, the Murray Head sleeve rankles-- I can't get over how poor that looks. If they were going to re-use the image they should've used Morrissey's font, too. In this day and age there's no excuse for shoddy typography, not even the usually reliable excuse of being the employee of a major label record company.

 

[Not Right in the Head]

Are you in the US?

Yes.

I downloaded from the UK store, and I can assure you my file has DRM - iTunes told me so when I tried to convert to mp3.

About iTunes Plus, it is only available for tracks from EMI, or Indie labels. The other Majors do not sell in iTunes Plus format. Of the Majors, only EMI so far allows DRM free downloads on iTunes (other Majors are, as I understand it, experimenting with the amazon.com download store in the US, but have not gone fully DRM free yet, like EMI).

Very strange that they'd rip it differently depending on which country it was for. I'm not so bothered by the DRM, but I f***ing hate paying for 128kbps versions of tracks.

 

[Worm]

So, can we all agree that "The Draize Train" is an amazing track? I see why Morrissey spurned it-- the sort of white boy funk he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot barge pole-- but I adore it. The "Rank" version is even better.

My dream? Mark Ronson and Johnny Marr collaborating to "update" the track, plus vocals by...I dunno, Shaun Ryder or someone. "The Draize Train 2008" e&c. Time to vindicate Geoff Travis, Johnny!

 

[Not Right in the Head]

So, can we all agree that "The Draize Train" is an amazing track? I see why Morrissey spurned it-- the sort of white boy funk he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot barge pole-- but I adore it. The "Rank" version is even better.

I like it a lot more than "Money Changes Everything." But how is it any more white boy funky than "Barbarism Begins at Home," which has phenomenal lyrics? Maybe Morrissey was a one-funk-hit wonder.

 

[2-J]

Yeah The Draize Train is my fave of the Smiths instrumentals. Shame it didn't make in to, for example, Louder Than Bombs, but that's Morrissey idiosyncracy for you..

 

[Worm]

I like it a lot more than "Money Changes Everything." But how is it any more white boy funky than "Barbarism Begins at Home," which has phenomenal lyrics? Maybe Morrissey was a one-funk-hit wonder.

But you forget, sir. In 1984 Morrissey was a member of The Smiths. In 1986 he was a pop idol with a backing band called The Smiths.

1984
Moz: I don't much like this track.
Johnny: Goodbye.
Moz: Wait! I can work with it...

1986
Moz: I don't much like this track. It's not so much 'Soul Train' as it is...I don't know, 'Draize Train'.
Johnny: To hell with you!
Moz: Look, go ahead and keep your little tune. Fax me when you're ready to get serious again.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Why is everyone so amazed about this dubious download of "The Draize Train"? I agree it's a good song, but I'm sure that SOMEBODY here would have uploaded a good cd rip of it ... *cough ... pm me ... cough*

 

[Harsh Truth]

Why is everyone so amazed about this dubious download of "The Draize Train"? I agree it's a good song, but I'm sure that SOMEBODY here would have uploaded a good cd rip of it ... *cough ... pm me ... cough*

well, thats just it - I'm not a collector by any stretch but I don't think "the Draize Train" studio version was ever ON a CD. Only B-Side vinyl.

 

[Oso Blanco]

well, thats just it - I'm not a collector by any stretch but I don't think "the Daize Train" studio version was ever ON a CD. Only B-Side vinyl.

It was on the "Panic" cd single ...

 

[Harsh Truth]

It was on the "Panic" cd single ...

Back in 1986 I was thinkin' the cassingle was the format of the future!

 

[Oso Blanco]

Back in 1986 I was thinkin' the cassingle was the format of the future!

I got the cd single only one year ago, good thing that you can buy almost everything online now.

 

[beyondLA]

Why is everyone so amazed about this dubious download of "The Draize Train"? I agree it's a good song, but I'm sure that SOMEBODY here would have uploaded a good cd rip of it ... *cough ... pm me ... cough*

Word. The Internet tends to reset itself every two weeks.

I just posted The Draize Train not long ago...

 

[beyondLA]

I am thinking about using my Pepsi Points to buy some songs from the album on Amazon. Still not too sure, though. Oh, fudge...

 

[2-J]

Can someone who actually owns the Panic CD single make a fresh rip of The Draize train at 320kbps constant bitrate mp3, and post it here? Then I can die happy.